The Heroism Of Haruhi Suzumiya
by B.Vain
Summary: Wishes loose their melody and charisma once granted, for there is a dimensional difference between fantasy and reality. Yet we chase a piece of fiction hoping to attain happiness. Apparently, even a certain goddess is not immune to this very human flaw.
1. Chapter 1

**THE HEROISM OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA**

**Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined for my wishes to be granted in such a fashion, under such circumstances.**

**My very existence was speeding past the boundaries of common sense and rationality and entering into a realm of where the fantasy and reality are so deeply entwined that it is impossible to discern either. Improbable and amazing things surrounded me. Just as I wanted; I ought to feel exhilarated.**

**But here I stand watching the mysteries of the Universe and Time itself unfold before me under inky expanse of the midnight sky, the sight of it all inspires nothing but a sense of being cheated, mocked and played with. **

**I, at the, moment can understand the unique predicament of those fools tricked by an almighty wish granting spirits in all those Disney movies I used to watch; my situation is both piteous and laughable.**

**For as far as I can remember, the last few years I spent in the continuous and taxing struggle to separate myself from the crowd, to find a definition to my life and to attach a purpose to my existence other than to fall prey to the endless mundane chores dubbed by general consensus of equally mundane crowd as life; calculated and planned and stifling. But no matter how hard I battled against the quicksand of this abhorred destiny, it kept pulling me slowly deeper into the abyss as if mocking the futility of my desperate attempts to stay over the surface. With hopelessness and doubt weighing me down, my struggle with the passage of time deteriorated to a series of half-hearted attempts in blinding darkness. **

**It was then they found me: the SOS Brigade. Ironic as it may seem, but I learned to think of it thus. They taught me with every moment spent with them that I may not have stumbled across the answer I so fiercely seek because I may be going down the wrong road; that maybe what I needed was not to standout as an oddball on a pedestal cold and alone but to mingle with a crowd of loved ones, whose perspectives added a new aspect to my life every day and whose acceptance defined me as someone especial. Someone loved and cared for, giving me a special place in the wide world belonging to me and only me; helping me create my own small world of happiness while allowing me to be a part of theirs.**

**They taught me that there is nothing wrong with the world but with my perspective of it; the world will only offer me what I deserve, nothing less nothing more. **

**It's not life of an ordinary human that lacks grandeur but I who lacks the insight to realize so. **

**Life is full of contradictions and ironies. What appears on the surface is eluding and generally false. But I realized this simple fact, and several others alluding to it, just a tad too late to make any difference.**

**As I walked down an unfamiliar road, flanked by rows of houses standing still, silent, shrouded in the silver veil of the cold orb, our silent companion in that strange night, I felt a curious dread and misplaced excitement that roused waves of uncertainty that were coursing through me. Instinctively, I shuffled closer to the silent figure walking besides.**

**He continued his taciturn quest without betraying any signs divulging the fact that he noticed the maelstrom of tangled emotions raging inside of me.**

**It's sad and amazing how he could pickup Yuki's non- existent facial cues but completely miss the roaring sea of agitated emotions besides him. Or perhaps his disregard stems from a different reason...**

**Chasing this hypothesis came a torrent of unchecked recollections of past days deluging my mind, pushing all emotions to the back … all but one.**

**Kyon's dark façade loomed at the fore front of my mind, bearing down upon my consciousness, instigating an emotion, that now when I have the time and composure to decipher I realize, as bone chilling terror overriding the painful chasm that had opened in my chest at knowledge of being **_**the**_** disappointment despite my best efforts, again!**

**Somehow I manage to pull out the ugliest in Kyon.**

**Oh, I have seen an angry Kyon, always regrettable but fortunately short and rare. While angry, his countenance howls of willingness to inflict damage to the offender. His emotions dance around him in a mad rhythm making it painfully obvious who he wanted to settle the score with and how. His anger made him predictable but no less vengeful.**

**Yesterday, however, was a different story.**

**Yesterday, it was a different Kyon; cold, calculating and thoroughly ruthless. Compared to his day-to-day self he looked like a vampire on blood hunt; his body taut, eyes hardened, gleaming with murderous intent. **

**And the sole target it all concentrated upon was me.**

**A shiver ran up my spine and subliminally I huddled against him, closer still.**

"**This is new tame and brooding Haruhi, I don't think I like her much.", out of blue Kyon uttered with a long suffering sigh but the amusement belying his tone was hard to miss. **

**Guilt and hurt loosened their harsh grip and relief trickled down.**

"**Honestly? It's creeping me out."**

**Like you're the one to talk! What's actually creepy is your apparent nonchalance in this context. It's like you have ice water in your veins.**

**He simply shrugged the comment off. **

"**Nervous?" he jibed, smirking knowingly.**

**Who is he looking down on, that insolent fool?**

**It was hard but I resisted the urge to punch him into oblivion. It would not be conducive to the world salvaging mission he was about to embark if he can barely manage to stand straight. No, personal vengeance vendetta can wait, but I better issue some witty retort soon or he'd… **

"**You know, Haruhi," he began. I groaned. "Koizumi doesn't blame you for what his life has become; nobody does, sometimes, maybe, I do,"**

… **do this; drag my deepest insecurities out in the arena and make me grapple them until I can come to terms with them.**

**How did he even know what is troubling me when I had buried it on so deeply? Damn him and his cursed understanding! **

**Kyon continued flippantly, with a cool almost professional disregard to my anxiety. He knew I needed to hear this, "But that's just to vent. World saving for pastime is no leisurely task, you know." he shrugged.**

"**Contrary to popular belief it's barely enjoyable, for that matter it's hard to enjoy **_**anything**_** with the fact that the world as you know it is about to vanish or already has and it's up to you to set things straight sitting on your head like a crown of thorns. But that's beside the point", he announced casually.**

**Oh, so there was a point to this rambling? I thought you were just **_**venting.**_** Or do you get kicks out of making me feel like hell, you sicko!**

**It was hardly a joke. The statement was originally intended to be bitterly sarcastic cruel barb and pull him off the track that he was following. But all that it managed to entice out of him was a wry chuckle before he continued his cruel dissection of my twisted psychology and announce his diagnosis.**

"**Koyzumi cannot blame you for his fate 'cause if he does then he hands you over the little semblance of control he has over his life, he understands that, too." He paused but the silence had more contemplative note to it. "Moreover, blaming others for the upheaval in your life is just plain cowardice. Some do that to escape the responsibility and others out of ignorance. And Koizumi maybe a jack ass, creepy douche, annoying prick, smug butt kissing bastard but he is neither a coward nor a naïve idiot."**

**We lapsed into the silent embrace that the dead of the night had to offer; he to allow me to mull over his words and I, myself, to feel grudging gratitude and untangle and analyze my contradictory emotions, feeling a little amused. **

**The mysterious high school transfer student, vice president of the SOS Brigade, Itsuki Koyzumi was every bit the guy I had imagined him to be, charming, cheerful, amenable to the point of mindless slavery with just the right mix of mystery to his personality. **

**But it was all a lie, like the smiling visor he wore to misguide the onlookers, to shield the uncomprehending secret that lurked deep in the cervices of his conscience.**

**Itsuki Koizumi is an ESPer, had been ever since the year I met John Smith. But it was nothing like what I had imagined it to be. His power brought him duties and along they brought responsibilities that he was not prepared for. His unique condition pushed him into a bizarre world infested with uncertainties. It would have been a great adventure to brave a world with countless possibilities, however improbable, even for him, were it not for the countless unsuspecting lives at stake. **

**In this world where the weak are the stepping stone of the powerful, where every day is a unique struggle to survive, a child can hardly expect to make it unscathed. And with the balance of the world hanging so precariously, with its own local goddess to blame, the situation turns even grimmer.**

**How Kouzumi came to terms with this ugly foundational fact of world I can't say, but it taught him to play all games close to chest. ENLIGHTENED, as he had so eloquently put, he swept all his emotions behind this calculated, unflinching mask of merriment and set about the path of world saving in his own fashion.**

**While Kyon relied on his friends, Koyzumi followed the downtrodden path of wariness and caution to make it through a quandary. He, in a sense, is a misguided martyr who just wants a peaceful world. **

**But even after knowing **_**and understanding **_**all these facts I still couldn't come up with a viable excuse in defense of his creepiness or how annoying he could be when he wants to be, maybe it's some kind of defense mechanism to preserve his sanity, but Lord does that smirk puts me on the edge. I can almost sympathize with Kyon who had to deal with him and his antics. **_**Almost.**_

**I was about to spark another debate this time over Yuki or Mikuru's true intentions when I nearly bumped into Kyon when he motioned me halt. So finally….**

**Even after Kyon and Kouzumi's continued assurances to trust them to set matters straight I could feel my heart shrivel.**

"**Stay here; out of sight." He mumbled absently as he pushed me into a dark alley.**

**Before I could utter a single word his quick, hasty steps had carried him far enough for a whisper to fail to carry the wishes and warnings I intended to convey and if done so loudly it would betray me to the shivering figure of Asahina Mikuru standing not quite far away. Washed in the silver blessings of the waxing gibbous strolling the heavens, she looked ethereal. I felt a pang of jealous longing stabbing my stomach as I took in her waiflike beauty. I could understand Kyon's infatuation with her a little now. **

**Kyon had started to explain her "mission" for the night, his back to me. Even from this distance and low visibility I could see the utter horror that had seemingly taken permanent purchase over the demure girl's face. For moments she stood thunderstruck, clutching Kyon's sleeve in a death grip, lips trembling lightly, no doubt. It took Kyon a little physical persuasion to pull her out of her reverie and then she did the impossible, she flashed Kyon an understanding, albeit a little faltering, grin and spoke what must be words of acceptance and if one could believe, assurance .**

**It was then I had to turn around to allow them the privacy that they expected. Or at least Mikuru did or she wouldn't have dared. Not after all those clumsily veiled attempts to assure me that she held no feelings for Kyon.**

_**Traitor! **_

**As I shifted deeper into the shadows, huddled against the cold wall and felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, I couldn't find it in myself to stem the surging flames of betrayal and jealousy for two of my best friends.**

**Kyon was kissing Mikuru with the desperation and passion that is rare to behold in this chaotic and material oriented world.**

**But I cannot blame anyone but myself, can I? After all, it is what I wished for, maybe not how I wished it but what. It was all immaterial at this point in time, though.**

**I am not exactly sure when but it seems like a long time to me ever since my little sister took it upon herself to drag me out of my sleep and more often than not down the bed in the process. **

**She would come bounding in to my room chiming my name and mother's orders to get **_**up**_**, really how long are you gonna sleep… and so on.**

**I have long since resigned myself to her none-too-gentle early morning ministrations primarily because otherwise I would be a perpetual "snail" of my class and spend my mornings in detentions and evenings being chewed out by Haruhi. Her wakeup calls consisted chiefly of bouncing on my bed, shoving me as hard her small hands would allow or tickling ceaselessly.**

**So, understandably, I was a more than a little surprised when I woke up to gentle pushes and softly whispered pleas to wake up. Disheveled and disoriented I pulled open my slumber sealed eyes trying to sit up in my bed.**

**Even before I could have gathered my wits about myself, my sister slammed herself against my chest and burst into hiccupping sobs, clutching me in a wise like grip that was so uncharacteristic of her that for moments all I could think of were Nagato and Haruhi and wonder whether these sudden bouts of immeasurable strength were privy to only female race or does God has some similar arrangements for us males too. Nagato's strength is understandable… and Haruhi's too, in a twisted sense.**

"**w-we are all going to die!" **

**What?**

**Her whimpers was muffled, understandably so. But her distress or the urgency and disturbing certainty her words carried, not so.**

**I must've exclaimed out loud for she peeled her face off of my shirt and repeated plaintively, this time looking up at me.**

"**We are all going to –"..hic.."d-die!"**

**I bolted out of my bed, uncaring to the fact whether I cursed audibly or not and pulled her in a reassuring embrace. The look in her eyes was beyond haunted and afraid, whatever had terrified her had done so to the extent she believed it to be true ; as true her fear of it or its hopeful vanquisher, me. as I always had been, ever since the MONSTER BEHIND THE BUSHES incident when she was still a puking, bawling brat. **

**Words at this stage were useless. I've seen that look before. All reasoning and reassurance were going to freeze in face of her overwhelming fear.**

**After gently prying out scrapes of information of her I headed to the window where she had directed me with a shaking hand and yanked open the blinds.**

**The streets were overflowing with people. The entirety of the neighborhood was in uproar. A low buzz had filtered into my room through the pane of closed window that was vibrating under my fingers due to the collective clamor outside.**

**The scene that played beneath was one of impending chaos. Puzzled, disconcerted and curious above both, I pushed open the window. The din outside hit me like a force making me stagger slightly. **

**For all the noise it created the crowd was a poor source of coherent information. I caught a few floating snippets of conversations.**

"**-nature's wra-"**

"**-an apocalypse no d-"**

"**-sun-"**

"**-no apparent re-"**

**I gave up and was about to turn around to inquire my parents if they knew anything of the little girl's trouble when my gaze fell on the perpetrator of this pandemonium.**

**Suddenly I was rooted to the spot as realization swept over me. The roar outside was automatically tuned out and time seemed to have slowed down, moving like a viscous liquid as if trying to help me to make up for the time I have lost in my incomprehension. A chill descend upon me and I felt pin pricks run down my spine. **

**SOS Brigade's worst nightmare was unfolding in front of me. **

**A domino had been toppled over and soon the others would follow the suit. **

**The implications were all there.**

**This is the end **

**My phone had been ringing for quite some time now.**

"**Hello, Kyon-kun?"**

**Silence transpired all the countless responses that I could have made and none of them would have been more appropriate.**

"**So, I presume you have already seen it." **

**I turned to look outside. "More like not seen it." I managed after a moment.**

**It was my turn to understand his silence.**

**And I did.**

"**Nagato's apartment. Ten o'clock. Call everybody. **_**Everybody.**_**" I informed him.**

"**i… see." **

**And he did.**

**Before it was too late I rushed to the bathroom and heaved violently. My sister was drawing soothing patterns on my back. It was during that moment of vulnerability when my baby sister tried to calm me overlooking her own disquiet that I regained my strength.**

**I have achieved great many feats both incomprehensible and frightening in their magnitude and hadn't realized until it was over. I had done it before and would do so again this for countless families inadvertently pulled into this mess.**

**Revitalized, I re-entered my room and settled into my bed next to my sister whom I had managed to placate remarkably and coax into a hopefully numb slumber and gazed out of the window that stared in the east.**

**It was six am in the morning but no sign of Sun, yet the world outside was washed in its golden shade.**

**Immouto asleep, I walk down the stairs and quietly slipped out of the house across the room where my parents sat raptly watching the sensationalized version of the current predicament on TV.**

**As I step out of the house I am welcomed by the gentle warmth of the rising sun that affirmed my doubt.**

**The Sun was rising in the West.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Tragedy In The Town

The hysterical waves of shock slowly, when they finally did, ebbed, as they usually do, leaving behind a pile of debris that used to be my mind.

Several minutes preceding my confrontation with and confirmation of yet another bizarre reconstruction of reality passed in a hasty blur. All my efforts to recall the events of those minutes past were awarded with a blank slate.

By the time I regained some perspicuity I found myself sitting in my room in a chair that has been dragged next to my bed where the slumbering form of my little sister lay curled under the thin sheets. Her breathing was light, level and deep. The steady rise and fall of her shoulders hinted at her comfort and relief.

She looked peaceful.

I felt grateful.

Apparently, the horrendous monsters of reality that had been her unease while awake couldn't tail her to the safe sanctuary of her mind, which is good. Her fear had been kind of overwhelming and the too vulnerable look alluding to her helplessness and confusion had stirred a deep sense of unease within me. And the prerequisite for me to make out of this mess and to the Happily Ever After scenario (though it will only last long enough to make me complacent before shattering into thousand disappointing shards) is that I think clearly without any emotion altering my perception of the facts . I need to think with emotions not emotionally.

But think about what, really?

The Sun has risen in the West.

This statement is wrong on so many levels that I didn't know where to begin.

So I guess beseeching the question '_How?'_ would be as good a start as any.

But my unique position armed me with the privilege of disregarding that question and focus on the more important one: _Who?_

Possible suspects? You tell me. And don't expect to receive anything if you get it in one.

I put my money on Haruhi because something twisted on _this_ Level could only be the conceived in Her brain.

With that settled the next query that should have been made was _Why?_

_That _I did not even _try_ to figure out. For to accomplish that I must understand Haruhi's reason for doing so.

Heh … as if …

No plebian like me holds any semblance of hope at understanding the intricate and thoroughly messed up working of Haruhi-Kami's thought process. And somehow I still fail to feel unprivileged. I wonder what that's about…

Koizumi might be a hopeful candidate … maybe, but I have someone more reliable and less creepy in mind.

"Nagato-san?"

Soft whispering breath answered from the other end of the phone line.

"It's me, Kyon" she probably knew beforehand "I, uh, called you to ask 'bout the… er … thing with the sun earlier today."

She remained silent.

"So…? You know anything about it?"

Her reply was a diffused but an audible whisper, "Yes."

"Do you know why it happened?"

"… … …Yes."

It took Nagato a total of three seconds to contemplate an answer. Hesitation or Caution or Cautious Hesitation? In any event it made me uneasy because Nagato was never any of those things; she didn't need to, for caution and hesitation are humans' basic tools of survival and Nagato, if I may say so myself, was far better and efficient than any human I have so far seen; even those with freaky Abilities, or had that changed too while I was sleeping?.

I didn't like that; too many things changing and I still was at a loss as to why.

"So can you tell me?" I finally managed.

For moments there was only silence that slowly morphed into a minute's stillness.

"Nagato-san?"

Still no reply.

I sighed after a moment, understanding her silence for what it was. "You can't tell me, can you?"

"Yes."

So she _did_ know but couldn't tell me. WHY?

Oh brother, that looked like trouble. But it made no sense worrying over what cannot be helped. If Nagato chose not to tell me then I must trust her with that. So I did what I should have done at the beginning of the conversation.

"I… uh… decide to have an impromptu SOS meeting at your place, I hope.. err..You have no objections?"

"No." she might have known that already but that was no excuse.

"Ah, well, thanks and see you later then."

With a click the line went dead.

I stood still in the hush of the corridor outside my room where I had moved to allow my sister the silent privacy necessary to sustain deep, untroubled slumber, with only stillness that amplified the tremors of uncertainty coursing through my mind to accompany.

Well that certainly didn't go as planned, but no worries on that score.

My initial reaction notwithstanding, I had a feeling that I might succeed in containing this situation and the bedlam that it would surely entail before it's too late. As for my … er… earlier disquiet in the morning, I blame it all on Shock- the classical alibi- and my sister's disconcerting behavior.

I allowed the surrounding hush to wrap around me, slipping into a contemplative mood while staring at the closed door as I leaned against the banister lining the narrow corridor outside my room.

My little sister had looked pretty spooked. At that time I had instinctively assumed what was apparent to me was also obvious to my sister. But now that I could think, it was impossible for her to reach anywhere near the conclusion I drew. She simply didn't have enough facts.

So what was troubling her? And what was that about us all dying? I can understand why _I _was spooked, for me it had meant impending Armageddon, with such sudden change of what the entirety of humanity knew to be a fact, a universal truth, it surely would have drab repercussions and would severely jeopardize SOS Brigade's sole purpose; Haruhi's insanity notwithstanding, of hiding her reality warping ability because something this big could not be hidden. Curious minds would try to investigate and sooner or later if they catch even the vaguest of the rumors it would prove to be our undoing. But that was a result of several hours of over thinking and then sudden confrontation with a shocking event, but how could she had known that the World was about to End? … unless… she meant something more specific, much more personal.

Mom and Dad…

Whether my mind was too sluggish with anxiety or the severity of the thought had granted my steps an unnatural sprint I could not say, but by the time my mind reached the end of the logical deduction that in the time between my sister's stupid proclamation and my realization had my house been struck by some kind of calamity, human or natural, I would already have tasted my fair share of it I was already standing in the kitchen where Mother was preparing morning tea.

She turned around and greeted me, called me by my actual name. When I stumbled at articulating even a coherent greeting she called for me worriedly, urging me to take a seat. After a moment she poured me a steaming cup of tea and slipped into the chair beside me and gently inquired.

It was then I took in her expression and realized what a fool I had been for acting as I did. She was looking at me with me with the same concerned expression that was so characteristic of her that I only realized it when I saw its adulterated version warring for purchase on her face. But that wasn't the worst part; the worry that she was having difficulty concealing was not for her own welfare but her children's; typical.

All my inquiries died in my throat and a wordless, toneless sigh escaped instead.

"Kyon?" she asked again. She may not be hyperventilating like my sister but she was just as scared of the disorientation the current circumstances threw us in.

I managed to placate her with a few choice words and also turned the course of the conversation by asking Dad's whereabouts.

"He got an emergency call from work about the same time this… situation… was known widespread." She answered quietly and turned to look pensively out of the window before taking a light sip of the tea.

With so much to tell her, to reassure her but failing to weave words into potent enough sentences to convey either and the tense silence bearing heavily down upon me I excused myself and retreated to the confines of my room.

I leaned heavily against the door once I had quietly entered my room. I was really at a loss and the uncertainty shook me unexpectedly deeply and my confrontation with my sister and mother in their respective vulnerable moments instigated an emotion that I had ignored at that moment.

I had a vague idea of what actually my problem was. Too many things I knew to be certain were losing their firmness and hence I lost my reference frames to which I associated normalcy. It was just like when Haruhi had disappeared, a certain point in my life that I could count on come might hell or hail suddenly ceased to exist. I still remember how out of the whack I felt then. The situation then was analogous to that, I had thought.

If only I knew how close and yet how far I was from the mark at that moment I might have done something to prevent the disaster that followed. If only I had known that I wasn't alone in my concerns or its effects, if only…

* * *

><p>I was walking down the street leading to the intersection from where it was a straight road to Nagato's apartment trying to soothe my nerves. You would've thought that after all my 'adventures' with SOS Brigade I should have toughened up a bit but all it managed was turning me even more paranoid. I turned to the West once I reached the intersection to glance at the bright fireball glaring down with the same intensity; only in the wrong direction.<p>

What was it this time that was troubling you so much that you had to do _this_, Haruhi? Talk about expressing yourself on a global scale. You really need a hands-on course in trusting others in helping you out of a problem instead of extorting that help out of them.

I might've taken but a couple of steps in the direction of my destination when a resounding crash shook the ground beneath my feet. Instinct instantly overrode manual controls of motor functions and before I could even ascertain any anomaly in the ambience I was flat on face on the road, head buried under my folded hands.

When the prickling on the back of my neck of the falling debris ceased and the warm gusty wind subsided to the normal morning breeze, I cautiously raised my head from my position on the road where other pedestrians had joined me to avoid the stray shards hurled in every direction by the blast. The sight that greeted me could only be described as Pandemonium on Streets.

Down the street to my left a car had blown up with such a terrifying force that even over the deafening boom I could hear the brittle crash of the windowpanes, anti-theft alarm of the cars in the vicinity shrieking sonorously and even the collective din it created could not quite muffle the terrified shrieks or raucous, insane laughter.

Cloaked in the heavy grey smoke and flying dust the street looked as the ghastly compatriot of its previous avatar. Deep shadows craved by sunlight and the rich orange blazing wreck of the car moved; a moment later a group- a _gang_- on rumbling motorbikes emerged. They evidently were extracting some sort of sadistic exhilaration from the carnage they- I would've bet my arm on it- left in their trail.

"This is the End, you suckers! No fucking government is gonna to rescue your Civilized ass out of _this _one," one of the Biker Bastards spat in our direction as they zoomed past the stumbling, hastily rising people lest they might be mowed by those jeering jerks.

"BY SUNSET EVERY THING WILL BE OVER! THIS IS THE END!" they were roaring.

I would have thrown a shoe or at the very least a freaking slang at their rapidly retreating backs were I not sure that the time it would take might actually be the employed for the scant seconds' aid that the injured might require to cling to life; Yep, definitely the better choice.

Coughing, wheezing and, as I drew nearer I could see, shaking the locals were skittering out of the smoke choked street holding onto their companions for dear life and in the infernal milieu stood the instigator- the ablaze vehicle blazing in the pitch black like an ember out of the deepest pits of hell; the raging fire exhuming billows of black smoke out of its metallic carcass. The sky above the street was covered by a thin veil of smoke, dark drifting tendrils slowly unwinding as they claimed the vaster expanse of the blue sky casting a dull slithering shadow underneath. That's when somebody jerked me to a halt.

What the-!

Asahina-san was standing behind me looking as stricken as I felt, clutching my wrist and staring fearfully into my eyes.

Where the hell did she come from! But more importantly…

What in god's name are you doing Asahina-san?

She shook her head shakily. "Y-you mustn't go in there." Was all she said.

You couldn't possibly mean…

"They will be a-alright. I promise, they will." she tried to assure me unsteadily.

Oh? Then I should just slink away believing that they will come out alive because you _promise_?

Asahina-san cringed as if the bitter sarcasm physically stung her but, amazingly, retained her hold on my hand. Her stuttering was growing terrible and her effort to contain her instinctive reaction of breaking in to a blubbering blob contorted her beautiful features horrendously. "I-I-I am s-sorry Kyon-kun. B-but these are my o-orders. Classified Information w-will happen if you go in there" The sky above had grown overcast with the rapidly rising smoke and the dim shadow it cast on the street below was slowly slinking down the road and up Asahina-san's torso and face until the twinkling of her wide tearful, fearful eyes was completely covered by the grey veil. A cold lance of guilt stabbed my gut and was twisted just for good measure as I realized what she meant by 'promise'.

"…You're Asahina-san from the future…?" I queried dubiously.

She simply nodded her head, palpable relief easing her face into a relieved smile.

Well, damn…

Whatever reasons her "Bosses" had they might've some legitimacy and even if they didn't, lashing out at Asahina- san was just as stupid as blaming me for any of the eccentricities Haruhi comes up with. We both were victim to whims of our "Bosses".

Finally when the siren of approaching police and ambulances could be heard with one last look at the ruin I allowed myself to be ushered by Asahina-san, hopefully to Nagato's apartment, but I cannot really be sure. Nothing I presumed matched what reality had in store for me. The… incident… back on the road, for instance. What was that about? I have watched enough Hollywood spawned End of the World movies to recognize the telltale signs of the mob trying to cope with the sudden sentence of their execution by mauling anything that crosses their path as if trying to pile up enough crimes to make up for the sentence.

I know the signs, though, what I didn't know just why the hell? Sure, I expected upheaval on some level like people too afraid to get out of their houses hence affecting their respective nation's economy or just the opposite, even, that they might deluge the city roads to witness what, at least in my knowledge, would be the most Incredible Astronomical Event in the human history; studies conducted all over the world to figure out just how in universe did this happen? I can see the appeal there. No matter how I looked at it I could not see anything threatening about Sun changing sides, so to speak. But apparently I am one of the very few, if not alone, in this believe.

"So, where is… er… our Asahina-san?" once I had apologized profusely I deemed to ask the question necessary.

"She is on a… mission given to her by Kyon-kun.", she blushed beet red by the time she finished. I was worried she might faint.

On a mission… by me… I somehow don't like the sound of it. What are you up to future self? But that's the least of my worries right now.

So, Asahina-san From the Future do you have any idea what is going on 'cause I sure as hell have no clue.

She flashed me a 'Classified Information' smile which looked all the more angelic considering the bleak environment.

Before we could converse any more we had reached Nagato's apartment. Oh brother…

I got the distinct feeling that I was about to face a Dragon, uncovered and unarmed and if you can sympathize with Haruhi's previous victims my analogy would garner some empathy and understanding in the light of the current circumstances. With all my time taken up by earlier maladies this problem of fishing out a plan to put things back on track hulked in front of me and was made only worse by the fact that the more I delayed the more insanity would have the chance to run amok in the streets claiming more and more of our carefully constructed World.

All of the SOS Brigade was gathered at Nagato's apartment. As Asahina-san and I joined Nagato, Koizumi and Haruhi at the table opposite to them, the Brigade leader began her prattling that I studiously tuned out in order to thank Nagato for her mechanical hospitality and gather my wits about myself. But that was too much to ask of…

A finger jabbed me in the chest repeatedly making sure it drew my attention to its owner. I complied reflexively.

"What the hell Kyon?" she looked particularly annoyed and her face was pulled in tense lines. Intriguing…

"I warned you before, didn't I? I will make you pay heavy penalty if you ignored the Brigade leader again."

Oh you would, wouldn't you? Always keen at making slaves out of everybody in the immediate surroundings, aren't we?

Maybe that was a little uncalled for, or at least that's what I gathered from Koizumi and Asahina-san's frozen expressions. Nagato looked blankly indulgent. At least Haruhi seemed to think a little differently; she narrowed her eyes at me, her visage grew even tenser and leaned over the table to hiss at me "Don't you dare pull that nonsense on me, Kyon! I am warning you!" the steely glints in her eyes made me gulp down my retort.

"So," she announced officiously as she leaned back, apparently satisfied she had effectively suppressed the mutiny, folding her arms across her chest she continued "today SOS Brigade's objective is to pinpoint the reason behind…" it was so much like her to completely ignore the fact that I was the one who had called the meeting and might have a legitimate purpose to do so that I could not form a complain. At least something was going as it was supposed to. She glanced once at me and whatever she saw helped a little of her tension ease.

Well whatever.

Haruhi was predictably stoked at the very idea of investigating a paranormal event. Finally comes her respite from this mundane world that so severely lacked abnormal. Evidently, she spent very little time mulling over her own nature.

The large patch of sunlight that the window of the room allowed had shifted from its position on the opposite wall to the top of the table around which the SOS Brigade was congregated and was listening to their leader babble about her plans for the day oblivious to her mates' anxiety; typical. She was practically bouncing in her seat as she animatedly detailed our activities and distributed our roles. Her exuberant tone was, oddly, beginning to grate against my nerves. Every time she spoke of how much fun it was going to be images of what happened back on the street and frightened face of my sister flashed past.

I was an idiot to think even for a moment that the situation would be anything but rationally dealt with. Because really, what _was_ rational about this situation? And fear is said to feed on uncertainties that the irrationality of this all would surely spawn

Over and over, repeating tauntingly a single fact kept droning in my mind: What you cannot understand you always fear. There certainly were many things that even I didn't understand about our current predicament but that were not what drove me up the wall.

What was happening outside? I had faced about-to-end-of-the-world before but this time everyone else was involved to some extent. And in their incomprehension they are bound to hurt someone; most probably themselves and here I am sitting, mind winding up blank every time I tried to work a solution out.

The deeper I delved into the problem the more the whirlpool of questions kept pulling me in. At that moment I didn't realize that I myself hadn't made it unscathed through the vagaries that had infested the world at the.

"Kyon!" I was pulled out of my reverie by Haruhi's exclamation. "Are you daydreaming again! Penalty for- Kyon where the hell you think you're going! Kyon!"

Maybe it was the unreasonable guilt, the crippling feeling of helplessness that bore heavily down on me. My mind was too busy painting worst case scenario to work out some sensible plan of action. Even in the then current state I could tell I needed to calm down, hence my urgent exit. I could not sit there listening to the girl spew crap on the state of matters that she was in the root of like she were handed the opportunity of life time while unsuspecting people suffer of her selfishness.

I was already out of Nagato's apartment and ready to race down the flight of stairs when Haruhi caught up to me, clamped a steely grip below the elbow around my forearm and growled.

"What the hell are doing Kyon?" her worry was palpable despite her best efforts to camouflage it but I had no intention, patience or the presence of mind to deal with her _tsundere-_ness at that moment. Never in my life had I felt so nauseous with worry or lightheaded with anger.

"Let go, Haruhi." I tugged at her grip doing my best to swallow my heart that thundered in my throat pumping a vile concoction of molten fury and countless many emotions in my veins. It would be counterproductive to act otherwise.

"Not until you give me a good enough reason to meet the terms." Always so stubborn, unrelenting; any other time I might have admired that but you should've let me go then.

I bit down the threats and growls that had jumped up in my chest. Instead, I turned to look at her.

"Let. Go. Haruhi." Every explicitly spoke syllable ruined my effort to conceal my wrath.

Rest of the brigade had gathered at the threshold of Nagato's apartment. Koizumi stood a couple of steps ahead of others, watching the whole ordeal with sharp eyes and dead solemnity. Asahina-san looked stricken and when she looked at me she shrunk back a little, surreptitiously inched behind Nagato who was as expressive for her thoughts as always. But it was Haruhi's vulnerable expression that leeched every last bit of my anger before she relinquished her grip. And suddenly I felt very weary, felt like I should just plop down there and work on an apology.

But I followed my initial plan and trudged down the steps heavily.

"Why is it this way, Kyon?" Haruhi's quiet tone sent shivers down my spine and froze me to a halt. "Why is that you act like every moment with SOS Brigade is a burden? Like someone has forced you to be with me and every day you can barely take it-"

My anger might have dissipated but the frustration clung to me like chewing gum in the hair. And that's when everything went to hell…

"BECAUSE YOU'RE INSANE!" I bellowed, cutting her off "BECAUSE YOU'RE A…AN _IDIOT_!"

Oh you should have seen the expression on Brigade's face; Haruhi was taken aback, Koizumi shell shocked, Asahina-san wide eyed curiosity peeking from behind Nagato(and even she looked… amused!)

"Always causing trouble, always bossing people around, making them do things they never in their right mind would _IMAGINE _doing!"

I had clutched my head trying to regain some control but my sanity still had a long way to catch up to my ranting mind

"Because when I am with you I feel like treading a road paved on smoldering coals,"

My tone was actually _haunted_,

"and without you it gets even worse; I cease to feel ANYTHING!."

Judging by the subtlety of my approach on the matter I could as well have shouted "I LOVE YOU" at the top of my lungs,

"Anything but fury and worry for a stupid, stupid girl that causes nothing but trouble for me!"

Standing atop Tokyo tower,

"And I can't even blame her for that because she's as much victim of her whims as the world around her! And now this- this insanity has gripped the entire world and I don't have a FREAKING IDEA how to smooth the matters but _you_ act as if everything is fine. Acting cheerful when that's the last thing you feel!"

Amplified through the most powerful speakers in the world.

"So what do you want me to do, then?" Haruhi, who had been standing with her mouth agape, confusion and some other emotion warring for purchase on her face, finally shrieked with her usual gusto. More importantly she didn't deny my claim that she _WAS_ tense and nervous. That's the only thing she might have understood because the rest of my rambling would have swept over her head, fortunately too. "Fall in your arms and hand you another chance to boost your ego and stroke male pride like Mikuru does!"

"See?" I had gone crazy by then so can stop judging me already. "That's what I'm talking about. Why always act so proud? Why can't you fucking simply trust anyone- you know what? Don't bother answering! I had had enough for one day!"

Not heeding to any of Haruhi's bellows or colorful threats to return to the Brigade leader I quickly sprinted out of the building and headed straight to my house.

Even now that I have all the time in the world to mull it over the question still remains unanswered: What the hell was that about?

* * *

><p>The Sun had risen in the West.<p>

The gravity of this statement is probably enough to swallow a black hole or two and hence a few galaxies.

Think I am exaggerating?

Well then consider this,

"_Where do you think the sun will rise tomorrow?"_

"_Well, duh, east of course. Are you on drugs or something?"_

What might seem like a completely abstract fragment of a nonsensical conversation actually holds the key to understanding this whole mess.

Up until that day, the fact that Sun rises in the East had been a sure fact.

A ritual followed since the dawn of humanity and much before.

An unarguable axiom.

So deeply entwined was it in our lifestyles that it had become part of what we call _common sense._

Human race had become accustomed of this fact not quite unlike the act of breathing that one barely notices. And now that it's suddenly gone the common sense is left staggering and confusion hit the psychologically weakened like an epidemic. But that's not what landed the killing blow.

The situation might still have been peacefully dealt with were it not for the _other_ affects of this astronomical malady- the physical effects, which came tumbling down its trail. The World was suffering from partial Communication Blackout.

Most of the communication devices were rendered useless. They had been since early in the morning and I realized it as soon as I left building of Nagato's apartment. The streets were flooded with people; people in distress, with questions and people just plain damn confused. But as time passed everyone lost sight of their objectives that drew them out of their houses and gave in to their instincts to go berserk.

It was a living nightmare, the likes of which redefine horror.

Later in the noon, however, administration took harsh steps to curb the ever-growing turmoil on the streets. Curfews were enacted all over the Japan. Those who insisted to "exercise their right to information" were thrown down the slammer. More than one "brutal suppression" were required to regain any guise of control. As far as I could tell the whole of Japan was in a state of emergency.

So here I am, lying on my bed in the dark of my room, worn and weary, with only the reminiscences of the day past and countless emotions it instigated to keep me company. Head cushioned on my folded arms I could do nothing much but stare at the shadowed ceiling while I tried to put together the fragmented pieces of memories to create a clearer picture of the events for inspection.

And every time my confrontation with Haruhi pulled my attention, embarrassment heated my ears and the wish to somehow disappear of off the face of the planet quickened my pulse. And that's not even counting what Haruhi's reaction might be; so far there had been none. But that cannot be counted as being out of the woods yet, I can vouch that on my understanding of her eccentric workings. And, disturbingly, I really have some in-depth understanding to her mind. Perhaps that's partially what's to blame for my… er…. Breakdown(?) earlier. The moment I locked gazes with her I knew something was nagging Haruhi as insistently as my the then worries concerning my survival. I didn't halt to ponder what or why it was so then but I may have an inkling of an idea.

Somehow the prospect of enduring a world with rapidly depleting self control didn't seem quite as harsh as it did a moment ago.

The day had been very taxing. And given that I had no direct encounter with paranormal whatsoever, it did not bode well for my already tattered sanity.

Oh brother, if making a fool of myself _and _embarrassing the live out of me is what this rollercoaster ride takes to end then I'll still count myself getting away with the easy part of the deal.

My mother chose that moment to notify me of a phone call from Haruhi and shatter any hope I might have accumulated.

It's Haruhi!

If Asakura were to see me shaking and sweating as I went down the stairs she might've feel inclined to shift her tactics from puncturing the living daylights out of me to let embarrassment do the job; much more neatly to boot.

"Kyon?" Haruhi sounded like a… … frightened cat. No other way to put her _meek_, _subdued_ tone. That's it, the Armageddon has officially begun.

"Yeah?" I ventured cautiously.

"I- I… when I returned earlier I found my home in wreck. And- Every thing's upside down and my parents, they… they are… missing. I don't know what's going on and I have no idea what to do. Kyon? Are you there…?"

I guess up 'til now it was only the accent of the aforementioned ride. From now on begins the descent. Better hold on tight now because the insanity has truly just begun.

Oh brother…


End file.
